- COVID-19 vaccine tickets remind recipients when they need a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
- The CDC recommends that you take a photo of the vaccination cards as a backup, but avoid it online.
- Return to the place where you were vaccinated if you misplaced your paper card.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
Millions of newly vaccinated Americans walk home with paper vaccine tickets that contain important information about their COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccine tickets serve as a reminder when you need to get a second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The CDC does not collect information about who received COVID-19 vaccines, which means that the paper card also serves as proof that you were given the chance.
What happens if you lose the small paper ticket? You can still get a second dose, but the CDC recommends taking a photo of the card upon receipt.
Here’s everything you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine card:
What are COVID-19 vaccination cards?
The Trump administration has designed the cards as ways to remind vaccine recipients when they need a second dose. Recipients or their vaccine providers write when they get the first dose and what shot they get on the cards.
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses that are taken four weeks apart, and the Pfizer vaccine requires two shots at three weeks apart.
The US designed the card system to encourage vaccine recipients to show up for second doses, as some studies show that a significant number of women have not returned to receive the second doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.
Although one shot of Pfizer and BioNTech can significantly reduce the risk of infection, the body takes weeks to build up immunity. Data from careful trials have suggested that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines provide almost 95% protection against mild COVID-19 and 100% against hospitalization and death, but only when participants have followed the two-shot protocol.
What do you need COVID-19 vaccine tickets for?
The Centers for Disease Control does not collect information about vaccines when Americans take shots; the information on paper maps is not included in an online CDC database.
Therefore, the vaccination cards can be proof that you have been vaccinated at least once. Many countries have their own system for monitoring when patients receive vaccines, as well as hospitals, clinics and other organizations that store vaccine information, a CDC spokesman told McClatchy News.
Some companies are exploring ways to use evidence of vaccines to enable better opening protocols. The International Air Transport Association, or the trade association of international airlines, is working on ways to digitize flight tickets. Nick Careen, a senior vice president at IATA, said The Points Guy’s vaccine tickets are easy to forge, but digital versions could help reopen the airline industry.
What happens if you lose a COVID-19 card?
The federal government suggests taking a photo of your vaccine card in case it gets lost, the Better Business Bureau has warned not to post the photos on social media. The BBB, a non-profit group, reported that scammers were trying to sell fraudulent vaccination cards online.
The card also contains personal information that hackers can use to gain access to your accounts, the BBB said.
The CDC recommends that you use V-safe, a free tool that can remind you when you need a second dose. V-safe, which requires a smartphone, does not help you plan vaccination appointments.
If you place the card incorrectly without making a backup, Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told ABC News to go back to where you got a chance and to ‘ to ask for a replacement. The knowledge of the manufacturer (Moderna or Pfizer) and the recommended time until your second survey is essential to reduce your chance of infection, AARP said.
And if you can, hold on to your card after receiving a second dose if officials decide to use it for other purposes, such as schools, Crystal Tubbs, co-director of pharmacy at Ohio State University, told Good Housekeeping .
“Not all medical record systems ‘talk’ to each other, so this card serves as a backup of key information,” Tubbs said.